guindon



PATENTBD JAN. 5, 1904.

A.VGU1ND0N. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5. 1901. RBNEWED JUNE 8, 1903.

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PATBNTED JANlI, 1904.

A. GUINDON. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNI! 5., 1901. BENEWBD JUNE 8. 1903,

Kiwa( UNITED. 'y STATES Patented January 5, 1904.

ARTHUR ouin-DON, or MONTREAL, CANADA.

ROTARYVENGINE.

srs-:cinnamon forming para er Lettere Patent No. 748,861, dares January5, 1904.l Application filed June 5, 1901. Renewed J une 8, 1903. SerialNo. 160,638. (No model.)

To all whom 7115 may concern: j

ABe it known that. I, ARTHUR GUINDON, a subject of His Majesty theKingof Great Britain, residing in the city and district of Moutreal,Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Rotary Engines; `and I do hereby declare that thefollowingV is a full, clear, and exact vzo description of the invention,such as will er1- able others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines of that class in.which a rotary eccentric-piston is equipped with radiallymovahle wings,which are exposed to the pressure of the motive fluid, as fullydisclosed in a prior application for Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, tiled by me December 28, 1900, Serial No. 41,314.

The objects of the present invention are to provide means for reducingthe friction and wear between the. revoluble and the slidable membersforming the eccentric-piston, to pro.- vide means between the slidablepiston meniber and the engines cams which are calculated to absorb someofthe friction .and wear and allow for renewal of the working parts at aminimum cost, to red nce the friction and Wear between the slidablepiston memberaud the cam-actuated shiftable controller, and to"v gine,illustrating one type of valve, the plane' of the section beingindicated by the dotted line 1 1 on Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a vertical centrailongitudinal section through. the engine. Fig. 3 is a verticalcross-section through the engine shown by Figs. 1 and 2, except that thecylinder'is provided with a valved reversing mechanism and that therotary eccentricpiston occupies a. position turned one-quarter vverseaxis of the cylinder.

Vof the Way around. Fig. 4e is a detail perspectiive view, partly brokenaway, of one of the roller-bearing plates and the backingplate providedtherefor. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the revoluble memberforming a part of the eccentric-piston. Fig. 6 is a sectional view,partly broken away, showing about a half of the slidable piston member.Figs. 7 and 8 are views in side and edge elevation, respectively, of theshiftable controllerwhich is actuated bythe cam of the engine and servesto positively govern the slidabl-e member of the revolubleeccentric-piston. Fig. 9 is'an enlarged detail view of a portion of theroller-bearing adapted to be interposed between the shiftable controlleris closed at its ends bymeans of the heads 6,

and this cylinder is provided with a valvechest 7, which may beconstructed as shown by Fig. 1 or as represented by Fig. In the formerfigure a single rocking valve 8 controls the inlet of the live motiveliuid to the working chamber of the cylinder; but in Fig. 3 thevalve-chest is equipped with the reversing-valves 9,A in addition tovthe vcontrolling-valve 8, for the purpose of admitting `"the motiveiiuid to the cylinder in a manner to drive the piston'ineitherdirectiou, all as will'more clearly appearin my prior application,to which` reference has been made.

The cylinder-heads 6 are provided in their opposing 'faces with the camgrooves lO, which produce the stationary cams 11 of the engine, saidcams being arranged in corresponding positions and eccentric to thetrans- The cylinderheads are furthermore provided with openings throughwhich passes the engine-shaft 12, the same being fast or integral withthe revoluble member 13 of the eccentric-piston. Said piston member 13is preferably cast in a single piece of metal in the form shown moreclearly by Figs. 1, 3, and 5, and in order to reduce the weight of thispiston member I prefer to form it with the longitudinal passages 14,which are so arranged as to leave an intermediate solid web 15. Throughthis piston member and its web is formed a diametrical slot 16, thatextends entirely across the piston, so as to open through op positefaces thereof, and which is of snflicient width to accommodate afreely-slidable piston member 17. As shown by Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 6, thispiston member 17 is in the form of a single solid plate, the width ofwhich is less than the slot 16, and the' end portions of this singleplate are provided with recesses 18, (see Figs. 1,3, and 6,) saidrecesses receiving the slidable plates 19,'to which are looselyconnected the piston-shoes 20,the latter arranged to frictionally rideagainst the lining 21 of the cylinder.

While the described construction of the plates 19 and the piston-shoes2O may be employed, I prefer to adopt the construction represented byFig. 11, in which a slidable piston member 17 is provided at each edgethereof with a circular bearingrecess 22, the same loosely receiving theturning bearing-plate 23, whichis circular in cross-section and arrangedto loosely fit in the recess 22, so as to be free to turn easilytherein. This turning plate 23 is equipped with a recess or slot 24,that loosely receives the shank 25 of the piston-shoe 26. The enginewhich forms the subject-matter of this application is of the class knownas a high-powered and fastspeed engine, and in the practical service ofthe piston member 17 and its shoe 26 the latter will be made to rideagainst the cylinder-linin'g 21 by centrifugal energy. To keep thepiston-shoe in engagement with the cylinder when the engine is not inmotion, I employa light spring 27, which is adapted to im pel thepiston-shoe outwardly from the member 17, said spring being housed orcontained in the slot 24. It is evident that the piston-shoe 26 isarranged for its shank 25 to play freely in the slot ofthe bearing-plate23 in order that the piston-shoe may have a radial movement with respectto the rotary eccentric-piston; but by employing acircular bearing-plate23, which is fitted in a correspondinglyshaped recess of the pistonmember 17, the pistonshoe practically has a pivotal connection with thepiston member 17, because the plate 23 is free to turn in the recess 22,and hence the piston-shoe will easily conform to the curvature of thecylinder. To allow the singleplate piston member 17 assuming` theposition of a chord or of a radius to the revoluble piston member 13, itis necessary that the plates 19 and the shoes 2O shall have a certainamount of movement with respect to the piston member 17 and also thatthe shanks 25 of the piston-shoes 26 shall have the same amount oftravel in the bearing-plates 23 when the construction shown by Fig. 11is adopted.

I have provided the eccentric-piston with means for preventing thepassage of the motive fluid through the slot 16 in which travels thepiston member 17, and according to this part of the invention I providea series of cut-off plates 28. (See Figs. 1, 5, and 1l.) Each cnt-0Eplate is fitted in one ot' a series ot longitudinal slots 29, which isprovided in the cylindrical shell of the piston member 13, so as to openinto the diametrical slot 16 thereof, and thereby enable the cut-oft'plates 28 to lie near the ends of the piston member 17, this descriptionbeing applicable to each of the cut-olf plates. A series ofpressuresprings 30 are housed in each longitudinal slot 29 of the pistonmember 13 and seated against one of the cut-off plates 28 so as tonormally force the latter toward the slidable piston member 17, and eachplate 2S is provided with a curved recess 31, (see Fig. 10,) said recessreceiving the curved edge of a sole-strip 32, which has a tlat face thatis arranged to ride against the slidable piston member 17. Theemployment of the series of plates 28, disposed in engagement with thelateral faces of the piston member 17 1 1ear the ends thereof,effectually excludes the admission of the motive fluid into the slot 16or other portion of the piston member 13, and the sole-strips 32 ofthese cut plates easily conform to the motion of the piston member 17,and they absorb some of the friction and wear that takes place betweenthe parts, and they also allow for the convenient renewal of worn partsat a minimum cost.

To facilitate the easy and free movement of the piston member 17 withinthe piston member 13, I have provided certain rollerbearing devicesbetween the two members of the eccentric-piston, and the rollers of saidbearings are shiftably confined in contact With the piston member 17,which is designed IOO IIO

to have a limited slidable travel in the piston member 13. Said pistonmember 13 is furthermore provided with recesses forming the seats 33 onopposite sides of the diametrical slot 16, and these seats are occupiedby the backing-plates 34 and by the bearing-plates 35. One bearing-plateand one backing-plate are united by screws, as at 36n in Fig. 4, and thetwo connected plates are fitted in one of the seats 33 of the pistonmember 13, and in like manner the other connected plates 34 and 35 areseated in the other seat 33 on the opposite side of the slot 16, wherebythe two hearing-plates 35 are disposed in opposing relation. Eachbearing-plate is formed with two series of short longitudinal slots 3636, in which are loosely confined the bearingrollers 37, the diameter ofsaid rollers exceeding the width of the slots. The rollers are notyjournaled in the bearing-plates, but they are free to have a limitedmovement in the slots 36, and said rollers are arranged to travelagainst the backingfplates 34 and to have frictional engagement with theexposed faces of the piston member 17, whereby the latter is properlysupported within the piston member 13 to have siidable movement therein.By reference to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the bearing-plates and theroller-bearings are disposed within or between the group of cutoffplates 28. v

The width of the siidable piston member 17 is equal to the space betweenthe adjacent ends ofthe members forming the engine-shaft 12, (seeFig.2,) and in order to make the exposed end portions of this piston member17 equal in width to the chamber between the cylinder-heads 6 I providesaid member 17 with the wings 38, the latter being applied to the edgesof the member 17 andsecured rmly thereto by the countersunk screws 39.(See dotted lines in Fig. 6.) The wings of the.

pair at each end of the piston member 17 are provided in opposing edgeswith the recesses 40, and said wings are furthermore provided with thesockets 41. (See Fig. 9 and dotted lines in Fig. 6.)

In the cam-groove 10 of each cylinder-head is arranged the shiftablecontroller 42, the same beingarranged to lit snugly to the cam 11 inorder to be shifted thereby, and said controller having operativeconnection with the piston member 17 for the purpose `of positivelygiving the necessary slidable movement thereto during the rotation ofthe eccentric-piston as the element which is acted upon by the motivefluid in the high-powered fast-speed engine. Each shiftable ec centricis made in the form approximately of a ring or collar, as shown moreclearly by Figs.' 7 and 8, and said collar is bisected, so as to formthe sections 422', which are provided kwith the lugs 43, that aresecured together by the bolts or screws 44, whereby the sectionalcontroller has its members separably united together in order tofacilitate the application of the controller to the cam 11. Thecontroller has a circular opening which conforms in diameter to said cam1l, and said controller is adapted to snugly fit upon the cam in amanner to permit thecontroller to have free rotary movement on the cam.An important feature in the construction of the controller consists inthe formation of parallel straight recesses 45 in that face of thecontroller which is opposed to the wings 38 of the piston member 17, andthese recesses form parallel tracks or ways 46, against which areadapted to ride the shoes of certain roller-bearin gs to be presentlymore fully described. The major portion of each controller 42 is snuglyfitted in acain-groove 10 of one of the heads; but the formation of thetracks or ways 46 reduces the diameter of one side of the controller,whereby the reduced portion is adapted to project beyond vthe inner faceof the cylinder-head in order to make the tracks or ways 46 lie close tothe edges of the wings 38 and to expose them to the roller-bearings. Twoof the roller-bearings are provided at each side of the piston member,,and one of these roller-bearings is disposed in coperative relation toone of the Wings 38 on the piston member 17 and to one of the tracks orways 46 of the shiftable controller. Each roller-bearing consists of abearing-plate 47, having a tang 48, that is slidably fitted in thesocket 41 of one wing 38, and in the other edge of this bearingplate 47is provided the recesses 49, arranged to tightly receive the'rollers 50,the latter being interposed between the plate47 and the shoes 51. Iprefer to equip each rollerbearing with twoshoes 51 and with two rollers50, as shown by Fig. 9. Itis to be observed that the shoes 51 of the tworollerbearings are arranged to ride against the tracks or ways 46 oflone of the shiftable controllers, that the bearing-plates 47 of saidroller-bearing have slidable engagement with the socketed wings of -thepiston member 17, and that the rollers 50 of each rollerbearing'arenormally kept in spaced relation to each other, whereby the parts aredisposed to adjust or accommodate themselves so as to take up the wear andthe shoes 51 are free to move or turn in a manner to avoid cutting intoor abrading the active faces of the tracks 46 on the shiftablecontrollers.

Changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the formandproportion of some of the parts, while their essential features areretained and the spirit ofthe invention is embodied. Hence I do notdesire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts vas shown,reserving the right to vary therefrom. V

In the engine herein shown the steam is admitted toons side of thecylinder, so that the excessive friction comes on one side of the shaft;but I reserve the right to build a double or triple engine in order toequalize the friction on the shaft. In the double engine using a singleshaft the steam is admitted in opposite directions, so as to make thefriction come on opposite sides of the shaft; but the best results aresecured by makinga triple 'engine in which the large cylinder isarranged between two smaller cylinders and the steam is admitted in onedirection to the large cylinder and in an opposite direction to the twosmaller cylinders, thus neutralizing the pressure and friction on'theshaft and redncingthe friction'to a very small degree. l

I also reserve the right to embody my improvementsin a compound enginein which 'the elements are operable to minimize vibration. This isattained by placing the large or double cylinder between two smallengines and arranging the motive-duid inlets to the two smaller enginesfor the duid to pass thereinto in an opposite direction to the inletsfor the duid to the middle large engine.

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Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is l. In arotary engine, the combination of a cylinder provided with stationarycams, a revoluble piston memberhavinga transverse slot, a single-platepiston member slidably fitted in said revoluble member, a shiftablecontroller between each cam and said slidable piston member, and groupsof normally separated bearing-rollers operatively arranged to saidcontrollers and shiftable for a limited distance with said slidablepiston member, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination ofa cylinder provided withstationary cams, a revoluble piston member, a slidable piston memberfitted to said revoluble piston member and having piston-shoes connectedwith the end portions thereof and arranged to ride against saidcylinder, roller bearing-plates between the slidable and revolublepiston members, and bearing-rolls loosely conned in said bearing-platesand engaging with the slidable piston member, substantially asdescribed.

3. In arotary engine, a slidable piston member provided with edgewiseextensions, and roller-bearings shiftably confined in said eX- tensionsof said piston member, combined with cylinder-cams, a shiftablecontroller arranged for the roller-bearin gs to travel thereon, and arevoluble piston member, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder provided withstationary cams, a revoluble eccentric piston member therein, anotherpiston member slidably connected with the revoluble member and carryingthe shiftable and separated bearing-rolls which are disposed in opposingrelation, and shiftable controllers fitted to said stationary cams andinterposed between said roller-bearings of the slidable piston member,substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with a revoluble piston memberand a cylinder, of a slidable piston member having the wings,

. stationary cams within said cylinder, shiftable controllers fitted tosaid cams, and adjustable bearing-plates slidably connected with thewings of the slidable piston member and having means arranged to rideupon the shiftable controllers, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination with a revoluble piston member,and stationary cams within a cylinder, shiftable control- 1ers revolublytted to said stationary cams and each consisting of members separablyclamped together and provided with parallel tracks or ways, a slidablepiston member, and roller-bearings fitted to said slidable piston memberand arranged to ride upon the tracks or ways of the controllers,substantially as described.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination with a revoluble piston member,and stationary cams within a cylinder, of a slidable piston memberprovided with edgewise extensions, bearingplates connected with saidextensions, shiftable controllers fitted to said cams and provided withthe track-faces, and rollersupported shoes in operative relation to thebearing-plates and arranged to ride upon the track-faces of thecontrollers, substantially as described.

8. In arotary engine, a slidable piston member provided at its exposededge with a bearin g-recess of circular cross-section, a bearingplatesnugly fitted in said recess to turn therein and provided with a slot,and a piston-shoe having a shank slidably fitted in said slot of thebearing-plate, substantially as described.

9. In a rotary engine, the combination with a revolu ble piston member,and a slidable piston member, of a group of cut-off plates seated insaid revoluble member and provided with sole-strips which engage withthe faces of the slidable member, substantially as described.

l0. In a rotary engine, the combination with a revoluble piston memberhaving a transverse slot, and a slidable piston member tted therein, ofa group of cut-off plates slidably seated in the revoluble piston memberand having the curved recesses, means for impelling said cut-off plates,and sole-strips tted in saidvrecesses of the cut-off plates to turntherein and provided with dat faces arranged to bear against theslidable piston member, substantially as described.

ll. In a rotary engine, the combination with a revoluble piston member,and a slidable piston member, of slotted bearing-plates secured in saidrevoluble member on opposite sides of the slidable member, and shiftablebearing-rolls conned in the bearing-plates and engaging with theslidable piston member, substantially as described.

12. In a rotary engine, the combination with a revoluble piston memberhaving a slot, and a slidable piston member fitted in said slot, ofslotted bearing-plates each provided with a backing-plate and fitted inthe revoluble member on one side of the slidable member, andbearing-rolls loosely arranged in the slots of the bearingplates andarranged to travel against the backing-platesand the slidable pistonmember, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

, ARTHUR GUINDON. Witnesses:

. H. T. BERNHARD,

JOHN F. DEUFFERWIEL.

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